Energy Infra Post

The State government has directed the power utilities to submit an action plan to meet a likely spurt in demand during the kharif season, and focus on upgrading agriculture feeders to ensure 100% free power to the sector.

In a teleconference with AP-Transco Joint Managing Director K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, JMD (Vigilance) K. Venkateswara Rao and CMDs of Discoms Nagalakshmi Selvarajan, H. Haranatha Rao and J. Padma Janardhana Reddy, and Director (Grid & Transmission, AP-Transco) K. Praveen Kumar on Wednesday, Energy Secretary N. Srikant instructed the chief engineers to submit the completion certificates of periodic and preventive pre-monsoon maintenance activities, and said they would be held responsible for any technical snags that cause disruptions in power supply.

Business World

Ease of doing business due to ammendment in agriculture produce marketing commeette act (APMC) as well essential commodities act (ECA), has been PM Narendra Modi’s first statement during his address to ICCs Annual Plenary session.  PM said that farmers will emerge as a brilliant marketing force due to these amendments.

PM has stressed that Sikkim has emerged as successful model of organic farming produce and said entire North East can follow the footsteps. He has also asked ICC member to help mould Northeast India as regional organic hub.

Indian Express

Pre-monsoon showers in the first week of June has encouraged farmers to sow Kharif crops earlier than usual. Kharif crops have been sown on more than 2.18 lakh hectares of agriculture area, which is almost four times the acreage during the last season.

Compared to a normal rainfall of 17 mm, Gujarat has received 258 mm of rains in month of June so far, most of which were in Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions of the state, according to figures from the Indian Meteorological Department. The Kharif sowing too is concentrated largely in these areas.

Financial Express

With the onset of the Kharif sowing season, the fertiliser industry has been witnessing a sharp surge in sales with industry volumes spiking to as high as 25% in the month of May. Sales have been aided by the large demand for urea as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), shows data compiled by brokerage and research firm Prabhudas Lilladher. Analysts are upbeat on agricultural and allied activities owing to the low impact that the sector has faced of the coronavirus pandemic and the healthy monsoon predicted ahead. The recent locust attack that a few Indian states witnessed is also likely to pull farmers closer to fertilisers in a bid to save their harvest.

Krishi Jagran

Monsoon is one of the most important factors that determine the fate of millions of farmers every year, it can decide the contribution of Agriculture in GDP, it determines whether many of the marginal farmers will be able to feed their families and this phenomenon has been going on for centuries. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted a good monsoon this year and we need to have a good monsoon now more than over.

Krishi Jagran

Amid the growing cases of coronavirus and uncertainty of the Indian economic future, the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) this year’s prediction of a normal monsoon in 2020 is a hope for the agricultural economy which adds as a major part of Indian GDP.

IMD predicted southwest monsoon this year to be 100 per cent of the long period average (LPA). Timely prediction of cyclone Amphan helped farmers in West Bengal and Odisha to reduce the effect. This prediction won praise from the World Metrological Organisation.

Financial Express

India’s farm sector may create a big economic crisis for the country as the minimum support price (MSP) for crops is higher than the market and international prices. The most important problem in this sector is that the international price for agriculture commodities, the market price, and the MSP, are very different, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a webinar, PTI reported. Highlighting the roadblocks in the farm sector, Nitin Gadkari added that some political problems are also there, which makes it difficult for the government to take decisions.

Telangana Today

In a novel initiative that would bring immense relief to the farming community, the State government proposes to construct one lakh multi-purpose cement ‘Kallams’ (drying platforms) across the State for farmers to dry their agriculture produce, particularly grains.

These platforms will do away with the existing practice of farmers drying grains on the roads which often led to fatal accidents in the past.

Live Mint

Abhishek Raghuwanshi, a young farmer from Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh, is a keen follower of any policy announcement that affects agriculture. Being a large farmer, with over 200 acres of land, Raghuwanshi often stock grains and pulses for months in order to sell them at a later date, unlike small growers who sell their produce at harvest time when prices are often low. In short, Raghuwanshi tries his best to time the market for a better price.

Deccan Herald

In a big policy move, the Cabinet on Thursday decided to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act that will allow anyone to own agricultural land.